Community comes out to thank ‘humble and modest’ postman

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The community of south-west Fermanagh came out in huge numbers on Saturday to thank their local postman who had been driving the byroads and lanes of their areas for more than a quarter of a century.

Louis Gordon has taken early retirement from Royal Mail after 38 years with 26 of those spent on the same route covering several hundred households and businesses across the Florencecourt area.

The route took Louis from the Tilery Nursing Home on the Swanlinbar Road along the main Florencecourt road to the Border near Blacklion, back along the Gortatole Road and all roads in between.

On Saturday afternoon, the community invited Louis and his wife, Dorothy, to an afternoon function where they made a presentation and paid tribute to his helpfulness and the fact that very often he went far beyond the call of duty.

Murial Scott, who runs Wheathill Post Office, and who co-ordinated the event held at the St. John’s Church Sunday School annexe, said Louis would have called with her regularly.

“He’s very popular with people here and everyone would say he is a very humble and modest man and very helpful. He got on well with everyone,” she said.

“I told him that he had gone above and beyond the call of duty,” she added.

A presentation of a gift cheque and a special pen made by a local wood turner from the Florence Court Yew and a bouquet of flowers for Mrs. Gordon were made at the event.

Louis who lives with his wife at Laragh, near Ballinamallard, fondly recalled his time driving along the rural roads of south-west Fermanagh and observed the many changes in the area.

“I remember in my early days there seeing children getting onto school buses and now they are married and sending their own children to school,” he said.

“I built up a good relationship with the people over the years and I can say these people were very warm hearted and most generous,” he said, explaining how he would have brought a few messages to older people such as bringing them a newspaper and checking on them.

Louis in his earlier years would have had a 6am start but in more recent times, that had changed to 7.30am, finishing around 3pm.

“There have been difficult times especially with snow in the Marlbank area.

“You were always afraid of going off a road or a concrete lane.

“In the early days I would have had to open and close a lot of gates across lanes but they have all been improved with concrete lanes and cattle grids.

He has also seen many changes in the types of mail he has had to deliver.

“There used to be a lot of private letters then but now there are only official letters and bank statements and more packages and parcels with internet shopping.”

Over his extensive career, Louis has delivered good news and bad news to homes and many householders would have been looking out for his van at certain times of year.

He said: “It’s been my privilege to have been a postman for the Florencecourt folk and I pay tribute to Muriel Scott for organising the lovely event on Saturday and all others who worked behind the scenes,” he said.

Now he and his wife hope to spend more time with their family; two sons, Stephen and his wife, Naomi who have two children; David who is getting married this year to Caroline and a daughter, Ruth, all living in Northern Ireland.

Louis, who is recovering from a hip replacement is looking forward to spending more time to enjoy his passion of collecting pocket watches and clocks which give him much pleasure.